Bisphenol A

Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA, is used in the manufacturing of several commonly used polymers and polymer additives. It is frequently used in plastic, although now many baby bottles, child sippy cups, and water bottles are advertised as "BPA-free." It is also used in most can linings for canned foods. High levels of BPA are blamed for "male sexual problems," including erectile dysfunction. Other reports blame BPA, an estrogen-like endocrine disruptor, for low sperm quality and quantity. Scientists have found that 93% of Americans tested have BPA in their urine. Additionally, a study found that 9 out of 10 American children are born with BPA already in their bodies. On June 29, 2010, the Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit, suing the FDA for its failure to ban BPA from food packaging. BPA has also been found in sewage sludge.

Efforts to Ban BPA
To date, there have been bills introduced into several U.S. state legislatures, as well as the U.S. Congress. Internationally, Canada has taken action against BPA. Bans (and efforts to ban) include:


 * Canada: Banned BPA from baby bottles in 2008.
 * US Congress: H.R. 1523 and S. 593 The Ban Poisonous Additives Act were both introduced but neither passed during the 111th Congress.

States:
 * California: A failed attempt to ban BPA from kids' sippy cups, baby bottles, and infant formula in 2010.
 * Connecticut: Banned BPA in infant formula containers, baby food cans or jars, or reusable food and beverage containers, effective October 1, 2011.
 * Minnesota: The Toxic Free Kids Act went into effect on January 1, 2010, making BPA in sippy cups and baby bottles illegal in the state.
 * Oregon: 2010 S.B. 1032, a bill that bans BPA from any baby bottle, sippy cup, or cup designed for children under 3 years of age, a bill that failed to pass Oregon's Senate.
 * Washington: Banned BPA in sippy cups and baby bottles in 2010.
 * Wisconsin: The BPA Free Kids Act banned BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups designed for children under age 3. Passed in March 2010.

Counties:
 * Albany County, NY: Passed Law C in 2009, banning baby bottles and sippy cups with BPA, effective January 1, 2010.
 * Schenectady County, NY: Banned children's beverage containers with BPA in 2009.

Cities:
 * Chicago, IL: Banned BPA in sippy cups and baby bottles. Also, stores must post signs showing which products are BPA-free.

Defending BPA
The American Council on Science and Health has vocally defended the safety of BPA. However, among ACSH's funders are several companies that have actively lobbied to keep BPA legal, including ALCOA, Anheuser Busch, Bristol Myers, Coca Cola, Dow Chemical, Gerber, Kraft Foods, Nestle, PepsiCo, and Proctor & Gamble. . All in all many companies and industry groups have lobbied the U.S. Congress on bills related to BPA, including:


 * Abbott Laboratories
 * Alcoa
 * American Beverage Association
 * American Chemistry Council
 * Anheuser-Busch
 * Bayer
 * Bristol-Myers Squibb
 * Coca-Cola
 * Conagra Foods
 * Del Monte Foods
 * Dow Chemical
 * Gerber Products Company (Nestle Infant Nutrition)
 * Grocery Manufacturers Association
 * Nestle USA
 * North American Metal Packaging Alliance Inc
 * Outdoor Industry Association
 * Owens-Illinois, Inc (a glass bottle manufacturer)
 * PepsiCo
 * Proctor & Gamble
 * SABIC Innovative Plastics US LLC

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * BPAFacts.org
 * Bisphenol-A Website

External Resouces

 * CONSUMER REPORTS: TESTS FIND WIDE RANGE OF BISPHENOL A IN CANNED SOUPS, JUICE, AND MORE, Consumer Reports, November 2, 2009.

External Articles

 * Martin Hickman, Major producers to ditch BPA from packaging, The Independent, November 1, 2010.
 * Kellyn Betts, Scientists Find Bisphenol A In U.S. Food, Chemical & Engineering News, November 1, 2010.
 * Liz Szabo, High levels of BPA cause sperm problems, study finds, USA Today, October 28, 2010.
 * Gayathri Vaidyanathan, Study: Human Exposure to BPA 'Grossly Underestimated', New York Times, September 20, 2010.
 * Jill Richardson, BPA in Our Food and in Our Bodies, La Vida Locavore, November 8, 2009.
 * Nicholas Kristof, Chemicals in Our Food, and Bodies, New York Times, November 7, 2009.